What is Seashore Paspalum?

Seashore paspalum is a warm-season grass that has a high salt tolerance. It’s usually installed in warm-season areas where the soil or water irrigation system also has a high salt content. This type of grass does well in warm weather and thrives near the ocean. During warm weather, it exhibits aggressive growth habits, accompanied by a dense root system and identified by its medium to course-bladed appearance. Also, since it’s a warm season grass, it goes dormant during the winter. Overall, paspalum needs moderate amounts of watering a fertilizing but requires frequent mowing to maintain a low cut. However, it’s also prone to scalping when mowed too short which is where proper paspalum maintenance techniques come in handy. Read the rest of this entry »

What’s the Difference Between Bermuda and Seashore Paspalum?

This is a common question that our Arizona sod professionals are asked by customers and business owners alike. When deciding to re-sod your lawn, it’s important to research all the different varieties of sod available. If you know that a warm season grass is best, then you’re most likely trying to decide between a bermuda grass or Seashore Paspalum.

When comparing similarities of these two warm-season grasses one thing is for sure: they both thrive in warm climates. This means that both grasses are water friendly, can withstand drought conditions and are durable under heavy foot traffic. Also, remember that these types of warm season grasses go dormant during the winter and will require overseeding to maintain year-round coloring. Read the rest of this entry »

Check out this video of Mr. Wise Grass discussing the benefits of West Coast Turf’s Platinum Paspalum sod for your home. This warm season sod can be an excellent choice in both California and Arizona. It has beautiful color, the longest greening of all warm season varieties, and easy care. For more info on the unique (but easy) care for Platinum Paspalum, check our care tips.

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The word transition tends to conjure up some ugly thoughts in people’s minds. Transition is often used to describe moving from one stage to another or in the case of sports teams are often transitioning from one style of play to another. Fans of sports teams cringe when they hear the word transition and the same is true for most turf managers but with turf it is often an easy fix. My goal today is to answer some frequently asked questions on transition, sod install, fertilizer and watering for the summer. If you have another question that I didn’t list please let me know.

Q. I overseeded my lawn last fall and I can’t get the ryegrass to die off. Can I turn the water off and kill it?

A. Yes and no. You can turn the water off and severely stunt or kill the ryegrass but you will also do some serious harm to your warm season turf. It is best to cut your water back 30-40% and let it fade away with the warmer temperatures.

Wednesday was an eye opening day for several people in the turfgrass industry as West Coast Turf played host to Dr. Ronny Duncan for a workshop on how to grow paspalum at our Scottsdale farm. He also gave some tips on keeping color and winter hardiness for bermudagrass and St. Augustine. Many people are still opening up to the idea of growing a different grass than bermuda, but the paspalums is where the turf industry is quickly heading. Read the rest of this entry »

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At this time of the year there is not a warm season grass that is going to have time to root into the ground without having ryegrass to help it establish itself into the soil. We are just beginning to get into the season of having cool nights and mild days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t put down sod. Read the rest of this entry »

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After the segment on “Good Morning Arizona” yesterday, we received several questions about paspalum. Most of them were asking if it’s right for everyone’s lawns or just select locations. I am going to give the bullet points to paspalum here today, and then if you have any additional questions please email me. Read the rest of this entry »

Spring has arrived! Those of us that did not overseed our lawns are either looking at either a mostly brown bermudagrass lawn or a dark green seashore paspalum lawn. I am sure you know which sod I have in my Arizona backyard. I want to talk about the paspalums again for those of you who are new to my blog or are interested in learning what the craze is all about these days in the grass and turf world. Read the rest of this entry »